Leitchfield Fire Dept. battles car fire on WK Parkway

The Grayson County Sheriff and Leitchfield Fire Departments responded to a vehicle fire at the 106 mile marker of eastbound Western Kentucky Parkway about 5:45 on Thursday evening.

A 1999 Volvo 570, driven by Pat Clay of Louisville, was traveling to Radcliff when he noticed around Beaver Dam that the Volvo was beginning to run hot. Clay, a surgical equipment salesman, continued driving toward Radcliff until he arrived at the construction zone just east of the Caneyville exit, when the vehicle began to spew smoke from the engine compartment.

Clay eventually pulled the car over onto the shoulder, exited the vehicle and opened the hood of the car. At that time, the smoldering engine compartment burst into flames.

Firefighters, who shut down the eastbound lane of the Parkway, extinguished the fire but not before the engine block of the car was completely incinerated. The fire was so intense that it melted the middle front of the engine.

Almost immediately after putting the fire out, firefighters re-opened the Parkway, resulting in only a 20 shutdown.